Novelty pair Bratavio are the early bookies' favourites to be booted off the show, with William Hill making them 11/10 to be leaving the programme on Sunday.

They performed a melody of 90s songs including Barbie Girl and Boom Boom Boom!! which was slammed as a "musical horror movie" by Cowell.

Up first were three-piece boy group 5am, who performed an energetic rendition of Justin Timberlake's Can't Stop This Feeling which got Scherzinger out of her seat.

Wildcards Samantha Lavery and Ryan Lawrie respectively performed Shontelle's Impossible and One Direction's Perfect , with Cowell commenting that "the wildcards are smashing it tonight".

Meanwhile Finnish singer Saara Aalto was mistaken as Norwegian by her own mentor Sharon Osbourne.

Introducing her act Osbourne said: "She's come all the way from Norway" before being shouted down by the live audience and fellow judge Louis Walsh.

20-year-old Gifty Louise was the first singer to perform an unreleased track with her version of That's My Girl by American girl group Fifth Harmony.

She was followed by Osbourne's act, Relley C from Birmingham who sang Shackles by Mary Mary which featured a short rap verse whilst Matt Terry's version of You Don't Own Me by Lesley Gore was lauded by the judges, although Cowell criticised his high notes.

Scherzinger disagreed, telling Terry his "highs had wings, they soared".

Freddy Parker's sombre rendition of Killing Me Softly by The Fugees also divided the judges with Cowell calling his choice to stand up from behind the piano during the performance "bonkers" and "crazy".

Parker - who changed songs at the last minute after advice from his mentor Scherzinger - hit back at Cowell, telling him he felt it was the "right part of the song to stand up".

Emily Middlemas sang the Chainsmokers' Closer, before Honey G's energetic performance rounded off the show and included her chanting "I say Honey, you say G".

The X Factor returns on Sunday at 8pm where the first act will leave the show after a public vote.